Fork in the road letter

[Duh]

I work with a couple guys that can retire now and in a few months on the LE retirement. HR straight up told them not to do it because they had no guidance or documentation on how it would affect their “special retirement.” First time I’ve seen our HR actually look out for anyone haha.

 

[jorswift]

Yep, received the letter this week. No, I will not be accepting it. The letter, title, verbiage and plan is the same as when Musk sent it out to Twitter when he bought them out. Only, he pulled the rug out from under them and didnt proceed with the benefits. From what I gather, this mostly stems from high level DC gov employees not stepping foot one time back in office since covid. Now its a huge scare tactic and even process before a large RIF comes. Who knows what is next. But if I was retiring this year or close to next, you bet I would jump on it, only to hope, they are true to their word!

 

[eamyrick]

What a mess. On a different thread but the bulk of our advanced LE training just got put on hold due to federal grant funding. I get the rip off the bandaid approach but a lot of real people who are solid workers at the receiving end of the chaos.

 

[2531usmc]

As a long time federal employee I’ve seen the productivity from 100% telework staff. At best, most of them are providing one or two full days of work a week.

A big part of the problem is that they are completely disconnected from the office and the people. They really don’t have a deep understanding of what’s happening or why it’s happening.

Trump is correct to pull them back into physical offices so their work time is more productive.

But I think, more important than workforce productivity, it’s critical that the American people believe the Federal workforce is working as hard as they are.

 

[jorswift]

As a long time federal employee I’ve seen the productivity from 100% telework staff. At best, most of them are providing one or two full days of work a week.

A big part of the problem is that they are completely disconnected from the office and the people. They really don’t have a deep understanding of what’s happening or why it’s happening.

Trump is correct to pull them back into physical offices so their work time is more productive.

But I think, more important than workforce productivity, it’s critical that the American people believe the Federal workforce is working as hard as they are.

I can say that my wife and I both work from home for the fed. She is 100% remote and I telework. I know everyones situation is different and there are $h!t bags everywhere, but my wife and I are glued more to our computers with meetings, work, reports, etc. than we were in the office. I get more done in a day at home than 2 days in the office as I dont have other people coming in, asking for help, showing them how things are done, water cooler bs, etc. My wifes performance metrics are off the charts compared to her counter parts across the rest of the country and in office. But like I said, there was an fed HR guy working from home who was caught mowing his grass during hours. So the weither they are in office or home, a turd is going to be a turd and still being down productivity. Just my .2. I have been with them almost 20 yrs, worked in office precovid, then go booted to telework for "safety". I still report 1-2 days a week in office. Now will be going back 100%.

 

[HingleMcCringleberry]

What a mess. On a different thread but the bulk of our advanced LE training just got put on hold due to federal grant funding. I get the rip off the bandaid approach but a lot of real people who are solid workers at the receiving end of the chaos.

That's good to hear. The federal grant nonsense needs serious reform or to be ended permanently.

 

[Eagle]

I'm 100% remote, and my org has been mostly remote since the late 90's. We are production based already, so bringing us into an office does nothing. Will be interesting to see how it all ends up going down, and if I have to move back to Colorado I will gladly, but I honestly don't expect my org to be required to do so given our track record and production based job.

 

[Bigbuckbandit]

Our hr department knows nothing and suggested either waiting or contacting opm.

I think it's awesome. I have a lot of coworkers who might get motivated to perform. I REEEEEEEAAAAAALY enjoy watching the daily update meetings with our regional directors where people can ask questions.

Some people are incredibly dumb. One teleworker looked to be on a porn set, another asked if this would jeopardize her position in which she makes valentine's day cards on a grant.

Lmao the porn set girl asked a dumb ass question too. She clearly didn’t read the return to office memo then asks if return to office was immediate. The RD looked like her eye balls were about to pop out.

 

[Dixie]

Email from USDA today.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

Whoever said these letters and lead up look Jinky AF is 100% right. We get pinged with fake Phishing emails as a drill on occasion. I assumed it was fake. I'm under DHS and believe we just received and email stating we are not eligible. For sure seemed like a scam...I just delete or Report to Phishing.

Don't know if am jealous or resentful of those teleworking? I guess I understood it during C-19. But I for sure feel it's been terribly abused. I am in a position not afforded a telework agreement. Why do I have to burn my own fuel, vehicle mileage, wake up on time, report on time, etc...for the same wage as those who roll out of the rack and log in.....and do Phuck All.

I've literally needed to call "for authorization" in some instances with kids bawling in the background, or people at parties while on the clock who can't hear me due to the music. Resign or get back in the office on the clock. Sorry

 

[chanson_roland]

Yep, received the letter this week. No, I will not be accepting it. The letter, title, verbiage and plan is the same as when Musk sent it out to Twitter when he bought them out. Only, he pulled the rug out from under them and didnt proceed with the benefits. From what I gather, this mostly stems from high level DC gov employees not stepping foot one time back in office since covid. Now its a huge scare tactic and even process before a large RIF comes. Who knows what is next. But if I was retiring this year or close to next, you bet I would jump on it, only to hope, they are true to their word!

This was a topic of discussion in my network, several of whom were at Twitter before/after doing public service.

The letter is a pretty close cut/paste of what was sent out at Twitter (and actually Tesla at one point).

Many of those who took the bait at Twitter are STILL suing Musk for the severance that was promised in the letter and never came.

 

[Eagle]

Whoever said these letters and lead up look Jinky AF is 100% right. We get pinged with fake Phishing emails as a drill on occasion. I assumed it was fake. I'm under DHS and believe we just received and email stating we are not eligible. For sure seemed like a scam...I just delete or Report to Phishing.

Don't know if am jealous or resentful of those teleworking? I guess I understood it during C-19. But I for sure feel it's been terribly abused. I am in a position not afforded a telework agreement. Why do I have to burn my own fuel, vehicle mileage, wake up on time, report on time, etc...for the same wage as those who roll out of the rack and log in.....and do Phuck All.

I've literally needed to call "for authorization" in some instances with kids bawling in the background, or people at parties while on the clock who can't hear me due to the music. Resign or get back in the office on the clock. Sorry

In my previous carrer as an army civilian, telework would have been a complete joke and seriously abused, as there were no metrics of production by which to judge if the individual was actually doing their job.

For production based jobs, like my current one, that don't require any face to face meetings or collaboration with collegues, being forced into an office is actually detrimental. You either meet your production, or you don't, and if you don't, they'll show you the door quickly during your first year in the office. Aside from that, our org doesn't have the office space to accomadate our work force, and to acquire the amount of space we would need would cost unnecessarily.

Again, for non production based jobs that were in the office prior to covid, those folks need to get back in the office. For production based jobs where the workforce has been over 90% remote for the last two decades, there is no benefit to forcing us into an office that doesn't even exist.

 

[IdahoElk]

Do you guys working from home ever think AI will be replacing your job?

 

[flathead#2]

58 Y/O with 24 years and I'm ready, but the way they're handling it kinda gives me
a bad vibe. The hypocrisy of that janky a**, ambiguous email is off the charts.
Saying we gotta work harder, more professional, efficient,,,, - yeah, ok.
I'm ready to get out but think I'm gonna hang tight and see what the next round
brings. Hopefully a VERA, Voluntary Early Retirement., which is actually a thing,
not whatever they're trying to do now.
And BTW, we dont even have an office to go to, so there's that.
We shall see.

 

[TaperPin]

For anyone not familiar with Oligarch Musk’s ideas about managing workforce costs I encourage you to look at his track record. He loves big layoffs, even if just as many new people are hired, then another big layoff. Look into it yourselves, don’t take my word for it.

 

[StuckInTheEast]

I know next to nothing about this...never worked for the Fed. Likely never will being at 40 now.
However, my father has been with the Corps of Engineers for 20 years and I hear a fair bit about the choas and inefficiency of it from him on the regular.
All I've got for input is geared to all the guys near retirement that are thinking about taking this deal...I would highly recommend getting as much clarification and everything in writing from someone actually authorized and accountable to make the statements they are making to you about how this could effect your retirement benefits. Even then...if your that close...boy it sure seems like alot safer bet to ride out your last year or two than Gamble on the Government doing what it says it will in writing or not.
If they stiff you, there's a good chance you'll be well past retirement or dead by the time it gets through the courts and you see any of what was promised and not delivered.
Its going to be an interesting and chaotic couple years to say the least. Best of luck to those in the public sector. I know the majority do the work and strive to do it well, for some reason Joe American doesn't believe you do or that your jobs are needed at all...the amount of ignorance I've seen sprewed about government work since the talk of cutting federal jobs first started with this administration is sickening. I appreciate what most of you do and if nothing else the BS you deal with doing it day in day out.
Hopefully the fat gets trimmed, but not cut to the bone.

 

[Eagle]

Do you guys working from home ever think AI will be replacing your job?

AI isn't creative, it's iterative, and as such, it couldn't make the calls required for my job. I expect it to make my job substantially easier/faster in the future, but not replace the human element.

 

[PLhunter]

These clowns haven’t made good on contracts with campaign venues or contractors in their private lives. You take it, you’re getting nothing. The emails were written and sent out by some non-gov 20 year olds.

 

[CorbLand]

Do you guys working from home ever think AI will be replacing your job?

Why would that be relegated to only those working from home? Plenty of in office jobs that can and will be replaced by AI.

Like others have said, AI will probably just make my job easier but currently, it doesnt have the ability to problem solve to a level that would be useful. It can tell me there is a problem and then I go solve the problem.




I dont work for the Fed but I wish my job would allow me to go remote. There is zero reason for me to be in the office. I can fully complete my job sitting at home. We are currently pricing out turning our cubicles into an office. About 15000 per office to do so. Save the 15000 and just let me work from where ever.

I sat in on a lot of meetings during COVID about the push to work from home during that time. One of the biggest issues with it was employees wanting more and more for it. We were processing so many requests for internet and phone stipends. People wanting desks and chairs for both their at work office and home office. I remember sitting in a meeting and just wanting to tell these people to shut up and eat the cost of a home office. It would have been a small price to pay to maintain the work from home model. As soon as COVID subsided, it was a resounding come back to the office and the number one reason was the costs associated with allowing people to work from home.

You could save a lot of tax payer dollars by allowing people to work from home.

 

[Wrench]

Do you guys working from home ever think AI will be replacing your job?

I don't work from home, but I did have HR in our office last month putting on a training on how to tailor resumes to get through the HR nightmare. We had a couple hundred applicants for 2 position upgrades and there were 4 of us who made it through.

Sometimes it's the best liar who wins HR, but this required your supervisor to vouch for you.

HR suggested that employees use chat gpt to create resumes which will add content.

I just laughed inside.....being one of the few who were blessed in time.